Where Demons Tread
by Ivy Crimson
Summary: ItachixOC, let me know what you think.


I backed up slowly. My father said someone would come for me. He always warned me that if I didn't hide, they would take me away. Now that day had finally come. There were two of them. One looked like a blue shark walking on two legs with a giant sword, and the other had black hair and crimson eyes, with three marks inside each eye.

My village was a small one, hidden deeply within the forest. My father had taken me here years ago, before he was killed, to keep me safe. I was the only one left with the unique ability of my family.

Before I could turn around and run for it, the shark's arm whipped out, and grabbed me by the throat, lifting me slowly into the air. I clutched his hand, gasping for breath as he slowly squeezed harder.

"Tell me girl, are you Aleriaya Tsunimani?" he asked, his beady eyes alight with the thrill of violence.

I couldn't speak with him choking me, and I didn't know what else to do, so I gave a weak nod.

"Kisame, that's enough," the dark-hair one said in a low, smooth voice. "We need her alive."

Kisame released me, and I feel to the ground with a thump, landing on my rear end. I rubbed my sore throat and looked up at the two threats. I knew who they were. My father had talked about the Akatsuki, he warned me that they were masterminded criminals who wanted to further their own power using any means necessary.

"What do you say, Itachi? Should I cut off one of her legs so she can't run?" Okay, Kisame was the shark, Itachi was the red-eyed one. Wait…did he just say he was going to cut of my leg?

I inched back as he advanced on me, still on the ground. He lifted his sword up and I closed my eyes tight.

"No." Itachi said simply. I peeked through one eye and saw that Kisame still had his sword in the air, ready to come down. "She stays in one piece."

Sharkboy grumbled and slowly lowered his sword.

"Stand up girl," Itachi ordered, his voice strangely hypnotic.

Slowly, and on shaky legs I stood, still clutching my throat. Itachi walked closer to me, and I stumbled back, until I hit a wall. I pressed against the wall as he finally stopped, a few inches in front of me. I looked up at him, into his strange crimson eyes.

The marks in his eyes spun, and I fell into unconsciousness.

When I woke up, we were moving. My eyes opened to trees flying passed in a blur. I couldn't immediately tell who was carrying me, until I heard Kisame grumble. "How long until we reach our destination?"

Itachi's voice said from just above my head, "There will be a town within the hour we will stop at, we leave for the base at dawn, and will be there by nightfall tomorrow." I closed my eyes again, hoping neither had noticed me waking up.

If we were stopping in a village tonight, that might give me a chance to escape and run away. My cheek rested against his Akatsuki cloak, and he was holding me firmly in both of his arms.

"Won't the villagers be suspicious when they see you carrying the girl?" Kisame asked gruffly. I was so glad he wasn't the one I was being carried by, or I'd have the smell of fish stuck in my head for the next week.

"I'll cast a simple genjutsu. They won't see her." He said simply.

I hoped this town had some Jounin in it. My father had told me if I something like this ever happened to find a village and explain who I was. The village in the leaves was the ideal choice, but any major village would work short term.

The criminals slowed down and I started hearing voices coming from nearby. I couldn't just scream for help, they were high-ranked ninja criminals, they could slaughter any good-natured citizen who tried to rescue me. I needed someone with training to save me.

I heard Itachi murmur something quietly, and felt a weird tingling around me. I realized this was probably the genjutsu he was talking about. I peeked around as he entered the town. It was an outpost town, full of games, food stands, and taverns for the men and spas for the women. Everyone was bustling and laughing and cheering.

The scary duo made their way slowly through town, few people even glanced at them. I watched through a partially opened eye, careful to close it again if Kisame got close enough to see. I was against Itachi's chest, so he couldn't see my open eye unless I looked up at him (which I had no intention of doing).

I was a bit confused, they didn't stop at any of the hotels or rest places like I thought they were going to, they continued straight through town, until we reached the path leading out of town and going into the woods. They began taking that. What was the point of even going through the town?

I was answered a moment later when two ninjas with leaf headbands appeared in front of the criminals. One had white hair and most of his face was covered by a mask, his headband covering his left eye, and the other had dark hair and a cigarette in his mouth.

A woman's voice came from behind us. "Itachi Uchiha, and Kisame, did you really think that little genjutsu would work on three jounin?"

The guy with the cigarette kept his eyes on us, "Kakashi spotted you guys before you even entered the village."

The white haired guy (who I assumed was Kakashi) slowly lifted his headband, revealing an eye like my captors, crimson with three red marks inside.

"I think Asuma and Kurenai, along with myself, would all love to know who the girl is." Kakashi said, slowly taking out a shuriken. Kisame stepped out in front of us, Itachi had his hands full carrying me. If he put me down so he could fight, then I'd have the chance to run away.

"The girl is none of your concern." Itachi said smoothly, his voice unphased and seeming no more concerned now than he was earlier.

"Well if she's important to you, I think she is our concern." Kakashi said, he appeared suddenly at Kisame's side, throwing a hard kick, Kisame blocked and thrust his sword at him, but Kakashi's body turned into water.

"Itachi, since the girl is out, you might want to put her down and help me." Kisame grumbled quietly.

"The girl has been awake since we entered the village. If I let her go, she will flee." My eyes snapped open. How did he know?

Kisame grumbled and the bandage around his sword slowly became unbound. "In that case, I might have to get serious." His sword looked like a lot of sharp teeth, the same color as his skin.

"You're outnumbered Itachi. Hand over the girl and surrender." Kurenai said from behind us. Itachi, who so far hadn't moved, suddenly jumped, flipping over and landing next to Kisame, but facing the opposite direction, toward the woman. There was a tree where he had just stood, with scary branches. I couldn't help but shutter.

"Close your eyes!" Kakashi suddenly yelled, "Don't look into his eyes!" It was too late for her though.

Kurenai's eyes widened, and she looked entranced, even frozen. I looked up at Itachi, and the marks in his eyes were spinning rapidly, he was entranced too, though my guess was willingly.

Kurenai suddenly fell to her knees, clutching the ground and gasping. What had he done to her?

"Kurenai!" the Cigarette guy, (Asumba?) yelled, in an instant was next to her. He glared up at Itachi. "What did you do to her?" he demanded.

"It's the ability of the Sharingan." Kakashi said, still facing off with Kisame. "He can trap you within the Sharingan, and out here it's only a moment, but in there it can be days."

Days? Was that even possible? I'd think the space time continuum would object to that somehow.

"You should leave. You are no match for us at your levels." Itachi advised, his tone dead.

Cigarette guy glared. "We are not going anywhere." He looked at me, "What is your name?"

I opened my mouth to tell him, but Itachi sharply looked down at me, and my voice caught in my throat. "You won't say a word." His voice was deadly soft, but my veins turned to ice from fear. I shrunk down and said nothing. I didn't want to die.

Kakashi appeared next to Cigarette guy and Kurenai. He looked at me, but I couldn't tell him. "Masabi. Orozowa. Kuranaba." I didn't understand what he was saying, but Itachi actually stiffened a bit.

"Enough. As I said, she is none of your concern."

This Kakashi was going to get himself killed, but he continued listing off words. "Walasushi. Kanazeki. Tsunimani." My eyebrows shot up. That was me. And I realized what he was doing, he was listing off names, waiting for a reaction to one, which I had just accidentally given him.

"Tsunimani. So that is your target." He said to Itachi, advancing slowly.

I whimpered as Itachi's hands tightened painfully around my arm and knee, apparently angry that I had confirmed this man's suspicions. I was so going to die.

"Kisame. I believe it is time for us to take our leave. No doubt they called for backup, and we don't need anymore interferrance." Itachi ordered.

Kisame nodded and Itachi's hands let go of my arm and knee, he still held me in his arms, but he used his hands to make handsigns.

There was a puff of smoke and I closed my eyes. When I opened them again, we were on the other side of the village, where we had entered initially.

"So now where are we going to sleep?" Kisame grumbled, wrapping his giant sword back up.

"There is another town, we can make it there by dark." Was all Itachi said before he started off on a run, Kisame following next to him.

I had a feeling this would be a long night.


End file.
